English Wine
People have traditionally turned their noses up at English wine but recently it is being taken more seriously. No longer a joke, English wine is growing in popularity. There is nothing new about English wine, it has been produced here since Roman times. What is new is the idea that as England supposedly returns to the balmy Mediterranean climate it used to have 1000 years ago; the wine it produces will be of better quality. www.decanter.com is currently running a poll on the subject asking:
“Will English wine ever be world-class?” The options to choose from are:
Yes, but only when global warming kicks in.
Yes, but only with greater financial
resources.
No, we've more chance of winning the World Cup.
www.english-wine.com runs an interesting site explaining every thing you ever needed to know about English wine. They comment that The Western Morning News reports that a French wine merchant, based near Plymouth, is now selling more English wine than French wine. Another report concerns an English-based French restraunteur who says that many of his customers are now specifically requesting English wines. And the newspaper has also recently reported how a number of English vineyards are expanding in order to meet the demand.
They also state that:
“The past few good summers and the excellent vintages of English wine which they have produced and increasing awareness of the prospect of global warming moving southern England safely into the serious wine producing latitudes means that what was once a hobby occupation for early retired military and professional folk is now a very serious industry where those making the pace have the technical knowledge and qualifications in viticulture and oenology, experience in vineyards around the world and business knowledge and experience too.”
The facts are that there are nearly 400 commercial vineyards in England and Wales covering approximately 2000 acres of land in total. Nearly all are in the southern half of England and Wales. Most English and Welsh vineyards are small (less than 5 acres), many very small (less than 1 acre). Only a small number exceed 25 acres and just a handful 50 acres.
Over 90% of English wine is white and comes mainly from Germanic vines. The wine has a floral bouquet, high acids and is fruity. The first challenge to the new winegrowers in the 1950s and 60s was to find varieties which would ripen in Britain's adverse climate. Only the most determined vines can ripen their crop and produce acceptable levels of sugar to be converted into alcohol. The official EU "Recommended Varieties" for the UK are:
Huxelrebe, Madeleine Angevine 7672, Muller-Thurgau (Rivaner), Reichensteiner ,Schonburger, Seyval Blanc.
It may be thought that England and Wales are just too far north to grow black grapes outside in open vineyards, but varieties have been identified which will ripen and produce good quality wine including - Triomphe d'Alsace (not fashionable to plant now), Cascade (Siebel 13053) - a hybrid, Leon Millot, Rondo (GM6494/5) - said to be most promising red so far, hybrid, good acids and sugars, and Pinot Meunier.
In 1998 approximately 9% of English Wine production was red wine and this proportion has been steadily growing. Some vineyards also produce rosé wines. One of the great successes of recent years has been the production of sparkling wines (generally by the traditional mèthode champenoise). A few English vineyards have produced special wines, such as "noble rot" wines which are highly concentrated with very high alcohol levels.
As I said earlier wine was being produced in England 1000 years ago. Julius Caesar is apparently the culprit who brought the vine to England and www.wineontheweb.com recently reported the discovery of the first Romano-British Vineyard at Wollaston near Northampton:
“Situated in the Nene Valley, the site of over 10 hectares (25 acres) has been confirmed by the identification of vitis pollen from the now decayed Roman vines. Its dating has been estimated as 2nd - 3rd century A.D. The vineyard displays a regular pattern of bedding trenches 5 metres apart, which conform to descriptions of how to lay a vineyard out by classical authors such as Columella. The site is on a flood plain, which is believed to have been drier in Roman times and the calcareous soil should have provided hospitable conditions for vines. There was also amphorae production in the vicinity and the vineyard may have supplied the Roman Army further north.”
English wine continued to flourish in Norman times and the Doomsday Book records 46 vineyards in southern England, from East Anglia through to modern-day Somerset. By the time Henry VIII ascended the throne there were 139 sizeable vineyards in England and Wales - 11 of them owned by the Crown, 67 by noble families and 52 by the church. The legacy of street names (such as Vine street or the Vineyards) in London and provincial towns and cities - suggests that vines and vineyards were certainly no great rarities.
Gavin Schmidt has commented in his article “Medieval Warmth and English Wine” for www.realclimate.org that grape growing in England declined partly due to the climate. The period from the mid-14th century to the 19th century in Europe has been called the "Little Ice Age" on account of the severity of the climate at the time, especially the severe winters. When the ice was thick enough and lasted long enough, Londoners held frost fairs on the Thames. The other factors for the disappearance of the vineyards are that:
“Much early winemaking in England was conducted in Benedictine monasteries for religious purposes - changing rites and the treatment of the monasteries by the crown (Henry VIII in particular) clearly impacted wine production there. Societal factors range from the devastating (the Black Death) to the trivial (working class preferences for beer over wine). The wider trade environment is also a big factor i.e. how easy was it to get better, cheaper wine from the continent?
The marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and the English King in 1152 apparently allowed better access to the vineyards of Bordeaux, and however good medieval English wine was, it probably wasn't a match for that”!
It still isn’t!
In the 19th Century only 8 vineyards are recorded. Contemporary popular sentiment towards English wine can be well judged by a comment in 'Punch' (a satirical magazine)
“that the wine would require 4 people to drink it - one victim, two to hold him down, and one other to pour the wine down his throat.”
Well, English wine has come a long, long way since then and it will be interesting to see how it develops in this new millennium.
“Will English wine ever be world-class?” The options to choose from are:
Yes, but only when global warming kicks in.
Yes, but only with greater financial
resources.
No, we've more chance of winning the World Cup.
www.english-wine.com runs an interesting site explaining every thing you ever needed to know about English wine. They comment that The Western Morning News reports that a French wine merchant, based near Plymouth, is now selling more English wine than French wine. Another report concerns an English-based French restraunteur who says that many of his customers are now specifically requesting English wines. And the newspaper has also recently reported how a number of English vineyards are expanding in order to meet the demand.
They also state that:
“The past few good summers and the excellent vintages of English wine which they have produced and increasing awareness of the prospect of global warming moving southern England safely into the serious wine producing latitudes means that what was once a hobby occupation for early retired military and professional folk is now a very serious industry where those making the pace have the technical knowledge and qualifications in viticulture and oenology, experience in vineyards around the world and business knowledge and experience too.”
The facts are that there are nearly 400 commercial vineyards in England and Wales covering approximately 2000 acres of land in total. Nearly all are in the southern half of England and Wales. Most English and Welsh vineyards are small (less than 5 acres), many very small (less than 1 acre). Only a small number exceed 25 acres and just a handful 50 acres.
Over 90% of English wine is white and comes mainly from Germanic vines. The wine has a floral bouquet, high acids and is fruity. The first challenge to the new winegrowers in the 1950s and 60s was to find varieties which would ripen in Britain's adverse climate. Only the most determined vines can ripen their crop and produce acceptable levels of sugar to be converted into alcohol. The official EU "Recommended Varieties" for the UK are:
Huxelrebe, Madeleine Angevine 7672, Muller-Thurgau (Rivaner), Reichensteiner ,Schonburger, Seyval Blanc.
It may be thought that England and Wales are just too far north to grow black grapes outside in open vineyards, but varieties have been identified which will ripen and produce good quality wine including - Triomphe d'Alsace (not fashionable to plant now), Cascade (Siebel 13053) - a hybrid, Leon Millot, Rondo (GM6494/5) - said to be most promising red so far, hybrid, good acids and sugars, and Pinot Meunier.
In 1998 approximately 9% of English Wine production was red wine and this proportion has been steadily growing. Some vineyards also produce rosé wines. One of the great successes of recent years has been the production of sparkling wines (generally by the traditional mèthode champenoise). A few English vineyards have produced special wines, such as "noble rot" wines which are highly concentrated with very high alcohol levels.
As I said earlier wine was being produced in England 1000 years ago. Julius Caesar is apparently the culprit who brought the vine to England and www.wineontheweb.com recently reported the discovery of the first Romano-British Vineyard at Wollaston near Northampton:
“Situated in the Nene Valley, the site of over 10 hectares (25 acres) has been confirmed by the identification of vitis pollen from the now decayed Roman vines. Its dating has been estimated as 2nd - 3rd century A.D. The vineyard displays a regular pattern of bedding trenches 5 metres apart, which conform to descriptions of how to lay a vineyard out by classical authors such as Columella. The site is on a flood plain, which is believed to have been drier in Roman times and the calcareous soil should have provided hospitable conditions for vines. There was also amphorae production in the vicinity and the vineyard may have supplied the Roman Army further north.”
English wine continued to flourish in Norman times and the Doomsday Book records 46 vineyards in southern England, from East Anglia through to modern-day Somerset. By the time Henry VIII ascended the throne there were 139 sizeable vineyards in England and Wales - 11 of them owned by the Crown, 67 by noble families and 52 by the church. The legacy of street names (such as Vine street or the Vineyards) in London and provincial towns and cities - suggests that vines and vineyards were certainly no great rarities.
Gavin Schmidt has commented in his article “Medieval Warmth and English Wine” for www.realclimate.org that grape growing in England declined partly due to the climate. The period from the mid-14th century to the 19th century in Europe has been called the "Little Ice Age" on account of the severity of the climate at the time, especially the severe winters. When the ice was thick enough and lasted long enough, Londoners held frost fairs on the Thames. The other factors for the disappearance of the vineyards are that:
“Much early winemaking in England was conducted in Benedictine monasteries for religious purposes - changing rites and the treatment of the monasteries by the crown (Henry VIII in particular) clearly impacted wine production there. Societal factors range from the devastating (the Black Death) to the trivial (working class preferences for beer over wine). The wider trade environment is also a big factor i.e. how easy was it to get better, cheaper wine from the continent?
The marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and the English King in 1152 apparently allowed better access to the vineyards of Bordeaux, and however good medieval English wine was, it probably wasn't a match for that”!
It still isn’t!
In the 19th Century only 8 vineyards are recorded. Contemporary popular sentiment towards English wine can be well judged by a comment in 'Punch' (a satirical magazine)
“that the wine would require 4 people to drink it - one victim, two to hold him down, and one other to pour the wine down his throat.”
Well, English wine has come a long, long way since then and it will be interesting to see how it develops in this new millennium.
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